The site will need some necessary changes for 2004 and one of them is the sign up process. It seems that people still don't realize that when you sign up you are expected to publish a jounral. There is no other reason to signUp. I think some people are still under the impression that you have to sign up to be a reader.

To deal with this and not end up having many empty journals in the list . I started turning journals off from public view. You can see a list of all of the hidden journals and other statistics at

The people with hidden journals can easily update and turn them via their update page. I think I am going ot make an automated system that turns your journal off when you sign up until your first post. Then if you ever reach 0 posts by deleting all of your entries (jesse) you will once again reach 0 status and then get hidden.

The zip code risk finder that Rachel posted seems to have some gliches. For example compare 14217 and 14222. They are both in Erie county yet ones says the county is in the top 10% dirtiest and the other in the top 30% dirtiest. Test it out and see hwat you think.

Currently, I own elmwoodstrip.org but it has nothing on it. I have finally decided to make it into a e-card site for which the users can upload cards and other people can send them and add messages. It will accept jpg, gif, and swf e-card. There will be thumbnails, etc. When you send it, they will be formulate dinto a web page that the recipient visits.

I think it is a great way to incorporate user art into the greater site and allow people to directly share that art. I could also see a e-card flash creation interface where multiple people can work on an e-card together.

Another possibility is having images that serve as a basis for a card design and then let people download and modify it in order to get multiple iterations on the same idea and see people's personality reflected in the content.

So, I was searching for links to stuff on elmwood and I ran into this guy's photography site.

He has some really good images from the Elmwood Art Festival, Arizona, Toronto, Pitzburg, Old Fort Niagara, etc. Check out one of the pics below. I invited him to start a jounral on our site. Hopefully, he will respond and we can see more of his talented work in the months to come.

For once, I am posting something especially elmwood related. I am eating at Panos and I have to say they have really come a long way since the 90s, when Sara used to work here.

It used to be a semi greasy-spoon sort of like the Towne restaurant but more selection. Now they have a fancy rug, a wood finished surface on the walls, nicer lighting, and best of all a totally new menu. The old stuff is still there but now you can eat things like scallops and rack of lamb. They also have fried calamari both tasty Greek style and Buffalo style for about $6. Its actually a big portion.

The buffalo style Calamari is weird. It really seemed like a good idea but not once it was in my stomach. Terry, the freakin cheapskate won't let me get my calamaris. Whatever, debt ration crap.

This leads me to think its time for a serious job change. Being a professor is fun and all but there is seriously no money there. This is my game plan for 2004 (new job * leave buffalo + less cancer risk) + increased calamari = happy paul.

Here is a link to a map of the location -

Check this out, they actualy sprinkle spices around the edge of the plate.

This guy named Bill Rapaport, who has a restaurant review site gave them a bad review which ended with: I was also surprised to find out that they don't make Texas hots any more--Panos used to have his own "secret recipe", and the stuff was quite amazing. They don't even serve hot dogs. Overrated--Overpriced--Underachieving food--Service was slow."

I have to say I personally am glad they put the hot dog business behind them, and I expect they will make a lot more money now. Bill, you need to put the hot dogs down and spent the time updating your site out of the early 1990s look. Get with the time.

So do you ever go swimming at Zoar valley. We have for years, playing in the mud at the banks and camping in the forest. Eat food cooked on the wood, etc. Well it just happens to be down stream from a nuclear Waste dump that makes the cancer sources in Tonawanda look like nothing.

Here is a site with lots of information

My favorite are the lagoons. . .

Several lagoons are still used to hold liquids with a short half-life. When the fluids meet government regulated safety standards they are released into nearby streams. Streams that I swam in a lot.